FIA WEC Event Coming To COTA

Circuit of the Americas will host an FIA World Endurance Championship event in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series weekend Sept. 20-22. (Circuit of the Americas Photo)

BRASELTON, Ga. – The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón’s visit to the state-of-the-art Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas was already one of the most anticipated events on the 2013 calendar.

That excitement was kicked up another notch with today’s news that the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) has been added to the Sept. 20-22 event weekend.

With championship battles expected to be at a fever pitch, the ALMS will conduct the eighth of its 10 rounds on the 2013 schedule. The two-hour and 45-minute race is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21. The following day, the WEC will race its inaugural 6 Hours of Circuit of The Americas.

“This sets the stage for one of endurance sports car racing’s premier weekends in North America,” said Scott Atherton, ALMS President and CEO. “Circuit of The Americas, as proven during last year’s U.S. Grand Prix, is one of the world’s most spectacular motorsports venues for competitors and fans alike. We are proud to be part of such a stellar weekend along with the FIA World Endurance Championship, and we look forward to putting on a Texas-sized spectacle for our many new fans in that part of the country.”

The ALMS and WEC are definitely not strangers. The two series competed simultaneously at both the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida in 2012.

“It is an honor to be selected as the exclusive North American location to host an FIA World Endurance Championship event this year,” said Circuit of The Americas president Steve Sexton. “Our world-class venue will showcase this premier motorsport to an international audience.

“Endurance racing attracts some of the most competitive manufacturers, teams and drivers in the world, and we’re excited to offer this attractive product in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series, which incorporates many of the same participants and sporting principals. Circuit of The Americas was designed to feature the world’s best sports and entertainment, and this super weekend of racing Sept. 20-22 is a great addition to our robust schedule.”